Author: handmaidathisfeet

HOLD THE LINE!

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In the movie “The Patriot”, Benjamin Martin, played by Mel Gibson, led a militia group made up of civilians, and joined forces with a larger Continental Regiment to take on a regiment of the British Army. As the battle ensued, Martin heard someone from the opposing side cry out “the line is faltering”! Martin, turning around and seeing his men retreating, aborts the pursuit of his enemy, grabs the American flag, begins waving it frantically while shouting to his men “ Wait! No Retreat! Hold the Line; Hold the Line”! Seeing that flag swaying above the chaos of fighting and smoke, and hearing the voice of their leader calling to them, beckoning them, was all it took for the faltering men. They became re-inspired. Their flames of hope was once again ignited. Even the leader of the Continental Regiment too saw this and with a shout cried out “Push forward, men”. Then one by one, with a cry of courage, they charged, once again, towards their opponents.

“No Retreat. Hold the Line”! It was the battle cry of a leader. A valiant cry. Purposed to encourage the soldiers who were faced with a situation where they could give in to the fear that had seized them in the face of the reality of this battle in which they were obviously outnumbered, and obviously under trained: or stand, courageously and fight for what they believed in, and wanted so desperately – Their freedom.

As Christians, we face daunting situations every now and then. These situations present themselves in many forms: Sickness, Spouselessness, Barrenness, Unemployment, Addiction, Loneliness, Financial Issues, Marital Problems, Relationship Problems, Legal Problems, Depression, and outright Spiritual Battles.

These battles are tests. They are trials. And for anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ, They will happen!

2 Timothy 2:3 says-

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

But, no matter how these trials present themselves, before we react in the flesh, we have to remind ourselves what the Word of God says in Ephesians 6:12-13:

“ For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

The Lord is reminding us that when we come face to face with these trials; no matter how daunting they appear, no matter how ill-equipped we feel, or outnumbered we appear to be, we shouldn’t retreat. We can’t retreat. We must Hold the Line.

“Hold The Line” means to stand one’s ground when you are face to face with opposing forces, and not turn back.

We stand, not because we are unafraid, but because our courage surpasses our fears.

We stand because that which we fight for, far supersedes that which surrender will earn us.

We fight because our Commander, Jesus Christ, He who is in us, He who has called us, He who has enlisted us, is not only greater than he who is in the world, but, He has never lost a battle.

“ And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Rev.12:7-9
Satan can never win a battle against the Lamb of God. So if we are fighting in the army that Christ leads, why are we afraid?

We can’t say that we are afraid of the suffering, because as Christians, we are told will suffer for the sake of the cross.

We can’t say that we are afraid because we don’t want to feel the pain; we must feel pain. After all, Christ had to undergo torture for us!

But if we BELIEVE that our Commander will lead us to victory, then, comrades, we cannot be afraid to go through the battle.

It is Jesus Christ Himself yelling after us and waving that flag when He sees us faltering and giving into our fears.

He’s yelling to get our attention so that we refocus ON HIM!

John 16:33 also says:
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

I find myself always going back to the book of Joshua when it comes to the matter of fear during our Christian walk.

After the death of Moses, God chose Joshua, the son of Nun, to lead the Israelites to the promised land. God spoke to Joshua and told him of the task that He was appointing him to. But God also said to Joshua on 3 separate occasions in the 1st chapter of Joshua alone, “Be strong and of good courage”.

“Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them”. (Joshua 1:6)
“ Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:7)

“ Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9)

God assured Joshua to be strong and courageous, and to meditate on His Words day and night so that he would not depart from them. Only in this would he be able to do that which he had been called to do.

Likewise, brethren. The Word of God that we have today; the testimony and the assurances of Christ that we have today, and the stories and accounts of all the saints who have come and gone before us; who had to hoist the banner of Christ high and face great persecution, yet, they held the line. All of this is all of the encouragement that we need to also be strong and of good courage. And these brethren, are all we need to motivate us to hold that line.

So when we line up in the battle of life, and the opposing forces, the one’s looking to rob us of our salvation line up against us, let us not look at their numbers, their weapons, or their size. Let us look instead to our Leader; Our War Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us listen to and obey His command:
“DO NOT RETREAT. HOLD THE LINE”!

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,  To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.
In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet.

KNOW THE TRUTH

handmaidathisfeet2 Comments

People often quote the phrase “The truth shall set you free” when referring to speaking the truth as opposed to a lie. Though that is a very good lesson to teach, that is, encouraging people to be honest, that is certainly not what that verse, as spoken out of the mouth of Christ, was referring to at all.

 
In John 8, after Jesus had rescued the woman who was being accused of adultery from the angry mob, He went on to have a dialogue  with the Pharisees about their obvious ignorance of who He was. For the lengthy exchange that they had, and the numerous verses that chapter contains, the entire chapter is centered on the Pharisees either trying to get proof, clarity, or understanding on one, single fact concerning Jesus. The fact of “Who are you”?
 
But Jesus’ statements to them also amplified one thing; their unbelief; and He stated in no uncertain terms that He could tell and show them in multiple ways from sun up, to sunset, and they still would not get it because they had chosen in  their hearts not to believe Him.
 
Verses 21 and 24 of John 8 say:
 
21 “Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.”
24”I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
 
The price of the Pharisees unbelief was to not have their sins forgiven, and because Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”, if they did not accept Christ, then they would die in their sins. Simple. Therefore,it was their unbelief that had placed them in bondage. The bondage of sin that would ultimately lead them to their death.  Not the death of “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 KJV), but the eternal death that apportioned to all who do not die in Christ.  This is what Jesus was trying to explain to them in John 8:32-36 when He said:
 
“ And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
 
 The truth that sets us free is not the truth versus lie, as in honesty versus dishonesty, it is the truth that Jesus is the way, the Truth and the Life! And it is this TRUTH, that sets us free from the bondage of death. That sets us free from the enslavement of sin. This is the truth of which Christ speaks. He speaks of Himself. Jesus was saying to them that they were waiting on the Messiah, yet, the Messiah was right there in their midst. And because they did not believe in Him, they would ultimately die in their sins as they continued to live under the law. 
 
By not believing the truth that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, you believe the lie.
 
The lie that causes unbelief is every strategy of Satan that is in place to keep people from believing this truth.  It is the belief in this lie that holds people in bondage. Lies of the big bang theory, lies of science, lies that “God cannot produce a son”, lies of “everyone is really a god unto himself” or “there’s a god in each and every one of us”. Lies of anything that sets itself up as being “logical” and therefore stands a chance to refute the Word of God that He created heaven and earth an all that it contains, and that He sent His only begotten son to live on this earth; sinless; and to die for sins that He did not commit. Our sins. So that upon believing in him, our sins become  part of the ones that He died for, hence, we are free, and will not die in our sins when that time comes, but, die in Christ unto eternal life!
 
Jesus was telling the Pharisees then, as he is telling you & I today, that if we receive Him an He has been presented in the Bible, in biblical teaching, by the testimony of our brethren who have received Him and most importantly, by His Holy Spirit who ministers to everyone and gives us an opportunity to believe in Him, and accept His death on the cross as a ransom for OUR SINS! It is only then, that we know that we have received the truth; and it is this truth that sets us free.
 
But keep in mind, brethren, this acceptance is not the end of the journey. In fact, it is just the beginning.
 
Just as Jesus said in John 8:30-31 “As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed”.
 
He said we are his disciples indeed only if we continue in His word. “Discipleship”, “Christianity”, “Being Saved”… These are continuous processes.  From the moment we accept Jesus into our hearts and lives, Satan instantly is on the attack to destabilize us and cause us to lose our crowns. This is why Jesus urges us to remain steadfast in His word, in His Spirit, in His personality, in His teachings, in Him. It is only in this; in the Truth that is Christ, that our freedom remains permanent.
 
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. 
 
Share you thoughts, that you might encourage your brethren.
 
In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet. 

WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION

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An old friend and schoolmate recently passed away, after a long and brave fight with a very serious illness. She would have turned 40 this July.

She was very open about her illness; using FaceBook as her primary medium. She shared her struggles with the illness, and other very personal aspects of her life such as a failed marriage and incidents of some friends and family members turning away from her  with stories, experiences, encounters and very graphic photographs. And for all the criticism that she received for being that “open” about her life: the good, the bad and the ugly: she never wavered. She consistently put herself out there. But, in addition to the front row seats that she gave everyone concerning her personal struggles, she was also very  open, upfront and extremely unapologetic about a very important aspect of her life: her faith in God.

She often expressed in her Facebook posts that people would comment negatively about how every other word out of her mouth was “Jesus, Jesus” all the time. She in turn would ask those people why should she not profess the name of the only One, who in light of the physical ordeals that she was facing, still gave her something to look forward to; still give her something to draw strength from; still give her something that put a peace in her heart that no husband, parent, friend or doctor could. Why would she not use every living breath to proclaim His name and His goodness and mercy upon her life?

A lot of us run to God when the going gets rough. But we run away when it seems that despite our being with Him, things don’t seem to be improving. I’m certain that a lot of people must have said “all this God that she’s proclaiming, yet, she remains ill…”

If you are of that mindset that only easy  things come to the believer, then you have sorely missed the mark. Christ suffered to open the way of salvation for us, therefore EVERY BELIEVER will suffer in one way or another.

I’m not saying that everyone will suffer illness, or imprisonment or some tortuous act, I’m saying, as the bible explicitly states that :

 “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” 1 Corinthians 3:13

In other words, what you claim to be your foundation; what you claim to be your faith; will be tested!

It could be tested by  your spouse or significant other, by your friends, by your family, by decisions that you will be faced with, by situations that will confront you, by things in the open, by things behind closed doors, etc. But we will all face that test. Most likely more than once in our lifetime, and if we are still worried about whether people believe that we say “Jesus, Jesus” too much, then we need to  brace ourselves, because we will be in for a very rude awakening.

Philippians 2:12 says: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Get to know Jesus for yourself!

Open your bible & look into these promises that God has made on your behalf and ask Him to show you how you can walk in them.

We can go on for days criticizing pastors that buy jets and engage in practices that we are disapproving of, but don’t make that your obsession because at the end of the day, that pastor has God to answer to, and guess what? So do you!

So work out YOUR salvation. Get on the Jesus bandwagon. Not so that you can speak Christianese, or have the ability spew bible verses from memory. But that you may understand the difference between knowing about Jesus Christ, and knowing Jesus Christ.

I don’t know what my friend’s faults and shortcomings may have been. As with anyone else, she was human and I am certain, imperfect. But what I do know is that her bravery during her illness; her unwavering devotion to God during her illness; brought ME a little closer to Him. She showed me a true to life example of “ But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”(2 Timothy 4:5). She made me come to the realization that if someone who is going through so many things that to the world are considered awful, yet, she evangelizes for Christ the way that she does, what excuse could I, who by His divine grace has not had to suffer anything even remotely close to that, possibly have?

Deuteronomy 4:29 says:

“But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

We aren’t promised tomorrow, brethren, so let us seek the Lord today. Let us desire to deepen and strengthen our existing relationship with Him today. Christ has never turned down anyone that has opened their heart to Him and invited Him in.

 Now unto him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ,

The handmaid at His feet